Opening-closing assembly for tobacco heater

ABSTRACT

An opening-closing assembly used for a heater for heating a heated tobacco product allows smooth and comfortable opening and closing operations. The opening-closing assembly for a tobacco heater includes a base including a first guide and a second guide and having an opening, a cover attached to the base and having an opening at a position corresponding to the opening in the base, and a lid guidable by the first guide to have a constant interval from the cover, and guidable linearly by the second guide to open and close the openings.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is National Phase of International Application Number PCT/JP2019/012094, filed Mar. 22, 2019, and claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-067937, filed Mar. 30, 2018 and No. 2019-011139, filed Jan. 25, 2019.

FIELD

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an opening-closing assembly for a heater used for a heated tobacco product.

BACKGROUND

Heated tobacco products have been available as a replacement for cigarettes. Heated tobacco products include a heating device to heat tobacco. The heating device has an opening for receiving tobacco to be heated, and includes a simple opening-closing assembly to prevent entry of external dust and dirt through the opening.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: WO 2017/194766

BRIEF SUMMARY Technical Problem

However, known opening-closing assemblies for heating devices used for heated tobacco products may not allow smooth, comfortable, and reliable opening and closing of the opening, and may have their durability to be improved for flexible device design.

Solution to Problem

In response to the above issue, one or more aspects of the present invention are directed to the structures described below. The reference numerals or other labels in parentheses herein denote the corresponding components in the figures to facilitate understanding of the aspects of the present invention. However, the components with such reference numerals do not limit the components according to the aspects of the present invention, which should be construed broadly within the scope technically understandable by those skilled in the art.

An opening-closing assembly for a tobacco heater according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base (20) including a first guide (22 a and 22 b) and a second guide (23) and having an opening (21), a cover (10) attached to the base and having an opening (11) at a position corresponding to the opening (21) in the base, and a lid (40 and 50) guidable by the first guide (22 a and 22 b) to have a constant interval from the cover, and guidable linearly by the second guide to open and close the openings.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the two guides to smoothly move the lid and smoothly open and close the openings. The opening-closing assembly also allows the openings to be reliably open and closed.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the first guide (22 a and 22 b) may be substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the base and the cover overlap, and the second guide (23) may be on a surface of the base facing the cover.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the guides on two surfaces orthogonal to the base. This structure downsizes the heater, and allows smooth opening and closing operations.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the cover may have a curved surface, the first guide (22 a and 22 b) may have a shape conforming to the curved surface of the cover in a movable range of the lid, and the second guide (23) may be linear in a direction in which the openings are open and closed.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the lid that can move in correspondence with the shape of the cover to open and close the openings. The opening-closing assembly thus allows the lid to move smoothly and stably in the heater with the curved surface having a highly sophisticated design.

In the above opening-closing assembly, at least one of the first guide (22 a and 22 b) or the second guide (23) may include a stopper (22 a 1, 22 a 2, 22 b 1, and 22 b 2) that restricts movement of the lid (40 and 50) at two ends of a movable range of the lid.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the guides of the base to determine the movable range of the lid, allowing reliable opening and closing of the lid.

In the above opening-closing assembly, at least one of the first guide (22 a and 22 b) or the second guide (23) may include a through-hole.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure allows the heater to be downsized, while allowing smooth opening and closing and providing high durability.

The above opening-closing assembly may further include an urging member (60) that urges the lid (40 and 50) in an opening direction and a closing direction.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the urging member that urges the lid in the opening and closing directions to support the lid stably at the two ends of the movable range in the opening and closing directions. This structure allows the user to have tactual feedback from smooth opening or closing of the lid, thus increasing the comfort in the opening and closing operations.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the urging member (60) may include a first arm (61) and a second arm (62), the base may include a first holder (24) that holds the first arm, the lid may include a second holder (53) that holds the second arm, and the urging member (60) may urge the lid in the opening direction and the closing direction that change between the opening direction and the closing direction at a position where the first arm has a shortest distance from the second arm.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure allows the heater to be downsized and allows the direction of the urging force acting on the lid to be changed. The opening-closing assembly thus provides the user with a click sensation, thus increasing the comfort in the opening and closing operations.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the first holder may have a shortest distance from the second holder in substantially a middle of a movable range of the lid.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure allows the direction of the urging force acting on the lid to be changed at a substantially middle position of the movable range. The opening-closing assembly thus increases the comfort of the user in opening and closing the lid.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the second holder may be guidable by the second guide in the base.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the same member on which the arm of the urging member is hooked and held, and guided by the guide, allowing the heater to be downsized.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the lid may include a guide member guidable by the guides in the base, and an opening-closing member joined to the guide member to open and close the openings.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the lid including two members, or the guide member and the opening-closing member. This structure allows the lid to move smoothly and can be used for the heater with a more sophisticated design.

In the above opening-closing assembly, a portion of the opening-closing member facing the cover may have a curved surface conforming to a surface of the cover.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the opening-closing member and the cover with an integral design, and can be used for the heater with a more sophisticated design.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the lid (50) may receive a pressing force to be immovable at or at a position adjacent to an end of a movable range in a closing direction of the lid, and is released of the pressing force at a position other than the position adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure reduce play of the lid relative to the base when the openings are closed with the lid, thus allowing the closed state to be stable.

In the above opening-closing assembly, the lid may include a first plate (55 a) and a second plate (55 b) that extend substantially parallel to each other in a movement direction of the lid, the base may include a first inner surface (25 a) facing the first plate and a second inner surface (25 b) facing the second plate, the first inner surface and a second inner surface may extend in the movement direction of the lid, the lid may have the first plate in contact with the first inner surface and the second plate in contact with the second inner surface at a position adjacent to the end of the movable range of the lid in the closing direction, and the lid may have the first plate at a distance from the first inner surface and the second plate at a distance from the second inner surface at a position other than the position adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction.

The opening-closing assembly with the above structure includes the first plate pressed by the first inner surface portion and the second plate pressed by the second inner surface portion, creating a pressing force when the lid is adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction. This structure reduces play of the lid relative to the base when the openings are closed with the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an opening-closing assembly with an opening closed with an opening-closing member.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the opening-closing assembly with the opening open with the opening-closing member.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the opening-closing assembly.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an opening-closing assembly.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the opening-closing assembly with the opening open with the opening-closing member.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the opening-closing assembly with the opening-closing member and a cover removed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tobacco heater including the opening-closing assembly with the opening-closing member open.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the tobacco heater including the opening-closing assembly with the opening-closing member closed.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a tobacco heater according to a modification with a guide member located at an end of a movable range in the closing direction.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco heater according to the modification with the guide member located at an end of the movable range in the opening direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The structures according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are mere examples of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the technical scope of the invention. In the figures, similar components are indicated by like reference numerals and may not be described.

1. Embodiments

2. Modifications

3. Supplemental Examples

1. Embodiments

An opening-closing assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is used for a heater for heating a heated tobacco product as a cover for an opening through which a heated tobacco product is inserted. The opening-closing assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention includes two guides for smooth opening and closing and an opening-closing member stably supported by an urging member at the two ends of a movable range in the opening and closing directions. This structure will be described in detail below.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are overall perspective views of an opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, the opening is closed with an opening-closing member. In FIG. 2, the opening is open with the opening-closing member. FIGS. 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the opening-closing assembly 1 as viewed from different angles. FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views of the opening-closing assembly 1. In FIG. 5, the opening is open with the opening-closing member. In FIG. 6, the opening-closing member and the cover are removed.

As shown in the drawings, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes a cover 10, a base 20, an opening-closing member 40, a guide member 50, and an urging member 60. Also, the opening-closing assembly 1 includes attachment screws 71 and 72 a to 72 c for attaching the members together.

Cover 10

The cover 10 is joined to the base 20. The cover 10 has an opening 11 at a position corresponding to an opening 21 in the base 20. The opening-closing member 40 is located over the opening 11. The opening-closing member 40 moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the cover 10 to open and close the opening 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the surface of the cover 10 facing the opening-closing member 40 has a curved surface in the longitudinal direction. The cover 10 includes protrusions 12 a and 12 b that protrude toward the opening-closing member 40.

Base 20

The base 20 is joined to the cover 10. The base 20 has the opening 21 at a position corresponding to the opening 11 in the cover 10. The guide member 50 is assembled on the base 20. A surface of the base 20 surrounding a second guide slot 23 and facing the cover 10 is curved in conformance with the surface of the cover 10.

The base 20 has first guide slots 22 a and 22 b in the side surfaces substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the base 20 and the cover 10 overlap. The first guide slots 22 a and 22 b are elongated through-holes. The first guide slots 22 a and 22 b have the same shape and are at positions opposite to each other. The first guide slots 22 a and 22 b each have a shape that conforms to the curved upper surface of the cover 10 and the curved upper surface of the base 20. This allows the guide member 50, when assembled on the base 20, to move while maintaining a constant interval from the upper surface of the cover 10 and from the upper surface of the base 20. The first guide slots 22 a and 22 b are examples of a first guide in an aspect of the present invention.

The first guide slot 22 a receives guide pins 51 a and 52 a on the guide member 50. The first guide slot 22 b receives guide pins 51 b and 52 b on the guide member 50. The first guide slots 22 a and 22 b include stoppers 22 a 1 and 22 b 1, which come into contact with the guide pins 51 a and 51 b respectively at one end of the movable range of the guide member 50. At the other end of the movable range of the guide member 50, stoppers 22 a 2 and 22 b 2 are located and can come into contact with the guide pins 52 a and 52 b respectively. The stoppers 22 a 1, 22 a 2, 22 b 1, and 22 b 2 restrict the movement of the guide member 50 at the two ends of the movable range. Although the stopper 22 b 2 is not illustrated and its reference numeral is not shown, the stopper 22 b 2 has the structure corresponding to the structure of the stopper 22 a 2 in the guide slot 22 a. The guide pins 51 a, 52 a, 51 b, and 52 b are examples of a guided portion in an aspect of the present invention. Also, the two ends of the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b are examples of a stopper in an aspect of the present invention.

The base 20 includes the second guide slot 23 in the upper surface facing the cover 10. The second guide slot 23 is an elongated through-hole. In other words, the second guide slot 23 is formed at a position substantially parallel to the direction in which the base 20 and the cover 10 overlap. The second guide slot 23 extends linearly parallel to the movement direction of the opening-closing member 40. A guide member spring holder 53 on the guide member 50 is received in the second guide slot 23, and the second guide slot 23 guides the guide member 50 linearly. The second guide slot 23 is an example of a second guide in an aspect of the present invention.

In the above example, the two ends of the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b function as the stoppers 22 a 1, 22 a 2, 22 b 1, and 22 b 2. In another example, the second guide slot 23 may function as a stopper that restricts the movement of the guide member 50 at the two ends of the movable range with the guide member 50 in contact with the second guide slot 23 at the two ends of the movable range of the guide member 50. In this structure, the two ends of the second guide slot 23 are examples of a stopper in an aspect of the present invention.

The base 20 is joined to the cover 10 with the attachment screws 72 a to 72 c.

The base 20 includes a base spring holder 24 that protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the cover 10. The urging member 60 includes a first arm 61 hooked and held to the base spring holder 24. The base spring holder 24 on the base 20 is fixed in position. The base spring holder 24 is an example of a first holder in an aspect of the present invention.

Opening-Closing Member 40

The opening-closing member 40 has a screw hole 42 into which the attachment screw 71 is inserted for attaching the opening-closing member 40 to the guide member 50. The opening-closing member 40 is supported by the guide member 50 in a manner linearly movable relative to the cover 10 and the base 20 to open and close the opening 11 in the cover 10 and the opening 21 in the base 20. Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the opening-closing member 40 includes recesses 41 a and 41 b that are linear in the opening and closing directions at positions facing the protrusions 12 a and 12 b of the cover 10. The height of the protrusions 12 a and 12 b on the cover 10 is greater than the depth of the recesses 41 a and 41 b. Thus, when the opening-closing member 40 is located with the recesses 41 a and 41 b engaged with the protrusions 12 a and 12 b on the cover 10, the opening-closing member 40 is linearly and smoothly movable without the entire surface of its lower surface coming into contact with the upper surface of the cover 10.

Guide Member 50

The guide member 50 is assembled on the base 20 and joined to the opening-closing member 40. More specifically, the guide member 50 and the opening-closing member 40 are joined with the attachment screw 71 placed through a through-hole 54 in the guide member 50 and into the screw hole 42 in the opening-closing member 40. The guide member 50 moves together with the opening-closing member 40. In other words, the guide member 50 is integral with the opening-closing member 40 and linearly movable relative to the cover 10 and the base 20.

The guide member 50 includes the guide member spring holder 53 that protrudes in a cylindrical shape toward the cover 10. The urging member 60 includes a second arm 62 hooked and held to the guide member spring holder 53. With the guide member spring holder 53 on the guide member 50, the guide member spring holder 53 moves, together with the guide member 50, linearly relative to the cover 10 and the base 20. The guide member spring holder 53 moves within the second guide slot 23 as described above, with the shortest distance from the base spring holder 24 being at substantially the center between the two ends of the movable range of the guide member 50. The guide member spring holder 53 is an example of a second holder in an aspect of the present invention.

The present embodiment is an example in which the opening-closing member 40 and the guide member 50 are separate members. In another embodiment, the opening-closing member 40 and the guide member 50 may be a single member. In embodiments of the present invention, the opening-closing member 40 and the guide member 50 together may be referred to as a lid.

Urging Member 60

The urging member 60 is a torsion spring including the first arm 61 and the second arm 62. The first arm 61 of the urging member 60 is hooked and held to the base spring holder 24. The second arm 62 of the urging member 60 is hooked and held to the guide member spring holder 53. The urging member 60 is attached to have a smaller internal angle between the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 than an internal angle between the arms in an unloaded state. The urging force acts in a direction to increase the internal angle.

In FIG. 6, the urging member 60 is illustrated in three states, namely, urging members 60 a, 60 b, and 60 c. In the state of the urging member 60 a, the opening-closing member 40 opens the openings 11 and 21. In the state of the urging member 60 c, the opening-closing member 40 closes the openings 11 and 21. The urging member 60 b is between the urging members 60 a and 60 c. In correspondence with the three states of the urging members 60 a, 60 b, and 60 c, the second arm 62 of the urging member 60 hooked and held to the guide member spring holder 53 (53 a, 53 b, and 53 c) is illustrated in three states, namely, second arms 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c at three locations.

In the state of the urging member 60 a, the opening-closing member 40 opens the openings 11 and 21. In this state, the guide member 50, in contact with the stoppers 22 a 2 and 22 b 2, is urged relative to the base 20 in the opening direction (right side in FIG. 6) by the urging member 60 a. The guide member 50 is stable in position in this state. In other words, the opening-closing member 40 joined to the guide member 50 opens the openings 11 and 21 in this stable state. In this state, the opening-closing member 40 can be pushed in the closing direction by a finger to place the urging member 60 in the state of the urging member 60 c after being in the state of the urging member 60 b.

In the state of the urging member 60 c, the opening-closing member 40 closes the openings 11 and 21. In this state, the guide member 50, in contact with the stoppers 22 a 1 and 22 b 1, is urged relative to the base 20 in the closing direction (left side in FIG. 6) by the urging member 60 c. The position of the guide member 50 is stable in this state. In other words, the opening-closing member 40 joined to the guide member 50 closes the openings 11 and 21 in this stable state. In this state, the opening-closing member 40 can be pushed in the opening direction by a finger to put the urging member 60 in the state of the urging member 60 a after being in the state of the urging member 60 b.

In the state of the urging member 60 b, the opening-closing member 40 is at a substantially middle position between the open and closed positions. In this state, the guide member 50 is not urged in either direction, as the urging force from the urging member 60 b acts on the two spring holders 24 and 53 simply in the direction orthogonal to the length direction of the second guide slot 23. When the opening-closing member 40 is moved in this state slightly in the direction to open the openings 11 and 21, the urging force from the urging member 60 b acts on the guide member 50 in the opening direction. When the opening-closing member 40 is moved in this state slightly in the direction to close the openings 11 and 21, the urging force from the urging member 60 b acts on the guide member 50 in the closing direction. In other words, the urging force from the urging member 60 can change to act on the opening-closing member 40 in the opening direction or the closing direction at the position where the base spring holder 24 has a shortest distance from the guide member spring holder 53.

As described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the lids 40 and 50 guided by the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b and the second guide slot 23. The opening can thus be smoothly open and closed.

Also, as described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b at substantially right angles to the direction in which the base 20 and the cover 10 overlap and the second guide slot 23 substantially parallel to the direction in which the base 20 and the cover 10 overlap. The heater can thus be more compact, and the opening and closing operations can be smooth. Further, the interval between the cover 10 and the lids (the opening-closing member 40 and the guide member 50) is maintained constant by the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b, and the lids (the opening-closing member 40 and the guide member 50) can be easily guided linearly by the second guide slot 23.

As described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment has the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b in a curved shape conforming to the shape of the cover 10. Thus, in examples in which the cover has a curved surface, the structure allows smooth and stable movement.

Also, as described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the base 20 having the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b and the second guide slot 23. These guide slots function as stoppers that determine the movable range of the guide member 50. The movable range of the lids 40 and 50 can thus be determined using the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b and the second guide slot 23 in the base 20.

Also, as described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b and the second guide slot 23 formed as through-holes in the base 20. The heater can thus be more compact, and high durability can be achieved.

Further, as described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the guide member 50 urged in the opening and closing directions by the urging member 60. The opening can thus be smoothly open and closed with the opening-closing member 40. Also, the opening-closing member 40 is stably supported at the two ends of the movable range in the opening and closing directions. Further, the urging force allows the user to have tactual feedback from opening or closing of the opening-closing member 40. This allows the opening-closing member 40 to be open and closed comfortably.

As described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the opening-closing member 40 stably supported at the two ends of the movable range in the opening and closing directions. Also, the urging direction can change at the position where the first arm 61 has a shortest distance from the second arm 62 (the position of the urging member 62 b in FIG. 6). This allows the user to have a click sensation and allows comfortable and smooth opening and closing operations.

As described above, in the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment, the base spring holder 24 is located opposite to the guide member spring holder 53 at a substantially middle position of the movable range of the guide member 50. In other words, the base spring holder 24 is located to have the shortest distance from the guide member spring holder 53 at substantially the center between the two ends of the movable range of the guide member 50. The urging force (amount of force) that acts on the opening-closing member 40 and the guide member 50 is substantially the same for the opening operation and the closing operation. This further improves the smoothness and the comfort of the opening and closing operations.

As described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the guide member spring holder 53 also functioning as a guided portion in the second guide slot 23 in the base 20. The heater can thus be more compact.

As described above, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment includes the lids 40 and 50 joined with the attachment screw 71. The assembly can be simple, although the heater has a complex design.

As described above, in the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment, the surface of the opening-closing member 40 facing the cover 10 is in conformance with the cover 10. The cover and the opening-closing member can have an integral design, allowing a more sophisticated design.

Example Use

FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating a heated tobacco heater including the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 illustrates the open state of the opening-closing member 40 in the opening-closing assembly 1. FIG. 8 illustrates the closed state of the opening-closing member 40 in the opening-closing assembly 1. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to the upper surface of a body 2 of the heater. A heated tobacco product can be inserted in the opening 11 in the opening-closing assembly 1. The body 2 includes a heater (not illustrated) that heats the distal end of the inserted heated tobacco product.

2. Modifications

A modification of the above embodiment will now be described. An opening-closing assembly according to the modification has the same structure as the assembly according to the embodiment except a base 200 and a guide member 500 that replace the base 20 and the guide member 50. The modification will be described focusing on its differences from the embodiment, without the components common to the above embodiment being described.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of a tobacco heater according to the present modification. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco heater with the guide member 500 at the end of the movable range in the closing direction and the opening 11 closed with the opening-closing member 40. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the tobacco heater with the guide member 500 at the end of the movable range in the opening direction and the opening 11 open with the opening-closing member 40.

Guide Member 500

The guide member 500 includes a first plate 55 a and a second plate 55 b that extend in the movement direction substantially parallel to each other. The first plate 55 a supports the guide pins 51 a and 52 a. The second plate 55 b supports the guide pins 51 b and 52 b. In other words, the guide pins 51 a and 52 a are erect on the first plate 55 a, and the guide pins 51 b and 52 b are erect on the second plate 55 b.

The guide pins 52 a and 52 b are joined with a guide pin joint 52 c. The guide pins 52 a and 52 b and the guide pin joint 52 c are integral as a shaft that extends in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the guide member 500.

Base 200

The base 200 includes a first inner surface 25 a at a position facing the first plate 55 a. Also, the base 200 includes a second inner surface 25 b at a position facing the second plate 55 b. The first inner surface 25 a and the second inner surface 25 b are slightly tilted with each other, rather than being parallel to each other. The distance between the first inner surface 25 a and the second inner surface 25 b is greater in the closing direction (left in the figure) than in the opening direction (right in the figure).

As described in the embodiment, the guide member spring holder 53 on the guide member 50 (500) is received in the second guide slot 23 in the base 20 (200), and the second guide slot 23 guides the guide member 50 (500) linearly relative to the base 20 (200). In this example, with the guide member spring holder 53 being a cylindrical shaft, the guide member 50 (500) including the guide member spring holder 53 may have play in the rotation direction about the axial center of the guide member spring holder 53 relative to the base 20 (200). The structure described above can reduce this play.

More specifically, when the guide member 500 is adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction (left in the figure) (the state in FIG. 9), an end 55 a 1 of the first plate 55 a in the closing direction is in contact with a closing direction portion 25 a 1 of the first inner surface portion 25 a and an end 55 b 1 of the second plate 55 b in the closing direction is in contact with a closing direction portion 25 b 1 of the second inner surface 25 b. Each of the end portions 55 a 1 and 55 b 1 is at a position away from the guide member spring holder 53. Also, when the guide member 500 is located adjacent to the end of the movable range in the opening direction (right in the figure) (the state in FIG. 10), the first plate 55 a is at a distance from the first inner surface 25 a, and the second plate 55 b is at a distance from the second inner surface 25 b. Thus, the guide member 500 receives a pressing force in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction at a position adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction, and is released of the pressing force at a position other than the position adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction. In this manner, when the guide member 500 is adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction, the rotation of the guide member 500 about the guide member spring holder 53 is restricted to reduce play. When the guide member 500 is not adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction, the guide member 500 can move smoothly in the movement direction.

The structure in the present modification can have less play when the opening 11 is closed with the opening-closing member 40 joined to the guide member 500, thus stabilizing the closed state.

3. Supplemental Examples

The embodiment of the present invention is described in detail above. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment but is construed broadly within the scope understandable by those skilled in the art.

In the opening-closing assembly 1 according to the embodiment described above, the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b are used as stoppers to determine the movable range of the guide member 50 and the opening-closing member 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure. In some embodiments, the second guide slot 23 may function as the stopper, or a combination of the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b and the second guide slot 23 may function as the stopper. In other embodiments, a portion of the guide member 50, a portion of the opening-closing member 40, or the guide member spring holder 53 may come into contact with the stopper to restrict the movement of the guide member 50 and the opening-closing member 40 at one end of the movable range, and a portion of the guide member 50, a portion of the opening-closing member 40, and the guide member spring holder 53 may come into contact with the stopper to restrict the movement at the other end of the movable range. In other words, in other embodiments, the movement of the guide member 50 and the opening-closing member 40 may be restricted by the stopper coming into contact with different members at either end of the movable range.

The urging member 60 is a torsion spring in the embodiment. In some embodiments, the urging member 60 may be a different spring or a different urging member. The torsion spring as the urging member 60 can downsize the heater and enables stable operation.

In the embodiment, the distance between the guide member spring holder 53 and the base spring holder 24 is the shortest at a substantially middle position of the movable range of the guide member 50. In some embodiments, the guide member spring holder 53 and the base spring holder 24 may be at the shortest distance between them at any other midway position of the movable range of the guide member 50, excluding the ends of the movable range.

In the embodiment, the surface of the cover 10 facing the opening-closing member 40 and the surface of the base 20 facing the cover 10 have a curved surface in conformance with the first guide slots 22 a and 22 b. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure. In other words, at least the surface of the cover 10 and the first guide slot may have a curved shape in conformance with each other. However, with the urging member 60 on the surface of the base 20 facing the cover 10 moving along the curved surface, the surface of the base 20 in conformance with the curved surface may allow the guide member 50 and the opening-closing member 40 to move more smoothly and comfortably.

In the embodiment, when the guide member 50 is in contact with the stopper, the open and closed positions are supported under the urging force from the urging member. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure. The guide member 50 or the opening-closing member 40 may have a recess, and the base may have a protrusion. The recess and the protrusion may elastically engage with each other when the guide member 50 or the opening-closing member 40 is in contact with the stopper. However, the urging member can achieve high durability and smooth and comfortable opening and closing operations.

In the embodiment, the two guides 22 a and 22 b and the guide 23 are elongated through-holes. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure. In other words, the guides may have an overhanging rail extending in the movable range or may be a groove. Also, one of the two guides may have such a shape. However, the structure with the through-holes can downsize the heater and achieve highly-durable operation.

The present invention may be applied to an opening-closing assembly for applications other than a tobacco heater.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is applicable to an opening-closing assembly that is open and closed by a user. 

1. An opening-closing assembly for a tobacco heater, the assembly comprising: a base including a first guide and a second guide, the base having an opening; a cover attached to the base, the cover having an opening at a position corresponding to the opening in the base; and a lid guidable by the first guide to have a constant interval from the cover, and guidable linearly by the second guide to open and close the openings.
 2. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first guide is substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the base and the cover overlap, and the second guide is on a surface of the base facing the cover.
 3. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a curved surface, the first guide has a shape conforming to the curved surface of the cover in a movable range of the lid, and the second guide is linear in a direction in which the openings are open and closed.
 4. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first guide or the second guide includes a stopper configured to restrict movement of the lid at two ends of a movable range of the lid.
 5. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first guide or the second guide includes a through-hole.
 6. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: an urging member configured to urge the lid in an opening direction and a closing direction.
 7. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 6, wherein the urging member includes a first arm and a second arm, the base includes a first holder configured to hold the first arm, the lid includes a second holder configured to hold the second arm, and the urging member urges the lid in the opening direction and the closing direction that change between the opening direction and the closing direction at a position where the first arm has a shortest distance from the second arm.
 8. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first holder has a shortest distance from the second holder in substantially a middle of a movable range of the lid.
 9. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 7, wherein the second holder is guidable by the second guide in the base.
 10. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lid includes a guide member guidable by the guides in the base, and an opening-closing member joined to the guide member to open and close the openings.
 11. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the opening-closing member facing the cover has a curved surface conforming to a surface of the cover.
 12. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lid receives a pressing force to be immovable at a position adjacent to an end of a movable range of the lid in a closing direction of the lid, and is released of the pressing force at a position other than the position adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction.
 13. The opening-closing assembly according to claim 12, wherein the lid includes a first plate and a second plate that extend substantially parallel to each other in a movement direction of the lid, the base includes a first inner surface facing the first plate and a second inner surface facing the second plate, the first inner surface and the second inner surface extending in the movement direction of the lid, the lid has the first plate in contact with the first inner surface and the second plate in contact with the second inner surface at a position adjacent to the end of the movable range of the lid in the closing direction, and the lid has the first plate at a distance from the first inner surface and the second plate at a distance from the second inner surface at a position other than the position adjacent to the end of the movable range in the closing direction. 